When I was either in middle or high school, the band director played a number of recordings of the same Viennese waltz. He told us to listen to how the different conductors rushed the second beat by different amounts. It was a valuable lesson in critical listening, instead of just hearing.

It also taught me that musical notation is not exact, but in many cases just an approximation.

In rock/blues/pop music, I'd call it the groove. We not only use variations of the swing feel in the sub beats, but often either rush or delay the 2nd and 4th beat of a 4/4/ measure. Which direction and how much depends on the song and the interpreter.

In a recording session, and in most live bands, the groove is established by the drummer, and everyone else fits into the pocket.

It's also why with my user styles, I recommend that you don't substitute the 'real drum' function. My bass player and drummer work as a team, the same groove, and parts that work together. Plus, the particular groove depends on the style. If you substitute something that is not in the pocket, it won't sound nearly as good, even of the tone is better.

While there are songs that favor quantizing the notes to the exact divisions that the notation specifies, in pop music, these are the exceptions.

When I listen to music, the groove is something I pay attention to. Plus how all the parts various musicians are playing work together to build the song. I also listen to the melody to hear phrasing and how it plays with the groove, either by complying or contrasting. There are so many things to listen to in a song sometimes I never even get to the words. Instead of the singer singing words, it's just various ways of articulating the note. Which IMO, if you don't listen to the words, but everything else the singer is doing, it can teach you how to play better solos and melodies.

OK, I guess I've drifted far enough from the swing.

Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

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